More than 100 off road bikes seized as Wigan Borough's successful operation rolled out across Greater Manchester

An operation to tackle the anti-social use of off-road bikes has seen such success in Wigan Borough that it has been adopted across Greater Manchester.

In May 2024, Operation Handbrake was launched in response to repeated reports of anti-social behaviour and nuisance caused by off-road bikers in areas across the borough.

Forming part of the Community Safety Partnership between Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police, the operation led to the seizures of 101 bikes last year, an increase from 68 in 2024.

There have also been several arrests over the past 18 months and up to a 66 per cent reduction in reports in hotspot areas, with these positive results leading to the operation being adopted across Greater Manchester's ten districts.

Councillor Kevin Anderson, portfolio holder for police, crime and civil contingencies, said: "It is great to see such positive results since the launch of Operation Handbrake, which highlights a genuine partnership between the council and police, and a commitment to tackling issues that matter most to our residents.

"I'm really proud that the success of the operation has led to it becoming a Force-wide initiative, but our work does not stop here. We will continue to be tough on anti-social bikers to ensure that our residents feel safe and can enjoy our public spaces."

With approximately 70 per cent of Wigan Borough designated as greenspace, with various canals, public rights of way, bridleways, and loop lines, this has attracted a growing number of unauthorised off-road motorbikes and quad bikes in recent years.

Five areas have been identified as particular hotspots - Bickershaw Country Park, Aspull, Worsley Mesnes, Westleigh, and Lowton - with unannounced police visits and extra resources delivered to tackle the problem in these locations.

Some of these extra resources have included the use of GMP's Roads Policing and Motorcycle Units, the Drone Unit, as well as the National Police Air Service. There has also been the installation of several kissing gates in hotspot locations.

This has resulted in a 66 per cent reduction of reports in Westleigh between May and August 2025 compared with the same period the previous year, with a 40 per cent drop in reports in Bickershaw and Aspull during the same time frame.

Last year, the value of seized bikes across the borough rose to more than £500,000, with savings of around £58,000 due to less frequent attendance costs.

The combination of resources used in Operation Handbrake has complemented the diligent work of neighbourhood policing teams and the council's antisocial behaviour and environmental services team, who have also improved communications and acted on local intelligence to deter, detect, and disrupt offences from taking place.

Sergeant Dan Canavan from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Wigan added: "These off-road vehicles cause significant distress to our communities, from the excessive noise to the damage to our local parks and green spaces, and most concerning, the serious safety risk they pose to innocent members of the public.

"I want to be absolutely clear, going into 2026 we will be using every tool and tactic at our disposal to identify and prosecute offenders."

Posted on Wednesday 14th January 2026